Saturday, March 27, 2010

Amateur Candy Makers of the World





My first attempt at candy making. Poolaki. Its a persian treat made of caramelized sugar that is nice to have with tea. I thought it would be a fun treat for celebrating Naw Ruz. It seemed simple enough. And it is. I followed this recipe from my new favorite blog Turmeric and Saffron. She recommends several different topping options. Mine only have saffron in them. The only thing I would like to add if one is planning to attempt making Poolaki, is that the sugar cooks very quickly and continues to cook even after removed from the heat. It is a good idea to start on low heat and remove it before all the sugar has melted, as it may end up with a slightly burnt taste.

Celebrating Spring

We are celebrating spring here. Its still cold out, and just so happened to snow on the first day of spring, but that makes it that much more important to celebrate. For the Persian New Year or Naw Ruz (new day), a fun tradition is to grow some sprouts of some kind or sabzi to welcome in spring. We grew some lintel sprouts and took our cues from this really nice persian blog Turmeric and Saffron. It was our first try, and I think it turned out very well. After the sprouts have enough green they can be placed on a Haft-Seen table (7 s's). Most of the things on the table begin with a seen or s in farsi and represent specific things for the new year. Below are pictures of our sabzi growing and the final product. Enjoy and Happy Spring!